A'ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark had record-breaking seasons, putting up stats the WNBA had never seen before.
Wilson became the first player in league history to score more than 1,000 points in a season, and she averaged a record 26.9 points. Clark broke the league's single-season assist mark and scored the most points ever for a rookie.
So it's no surprise the two were honored Sunday as the unanimous choices for the AP Player and Rookie of the Year awards, respectively, by a 15-member media panel.
“It means a lot," Wilson said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “The preparation you put in, the approach I set myself up for this season.”
The Las Vegas Aces star was named the league's MVP earlier Sunday, also unanimously. The WNBA will announce the rest of its awards over the course of the postseason, which begins Sunday.
Wilson finished the regular season with 1,021 points and 451 rebounds and led the league with 98 blocks. She finished third in the WNBA MVP voting last season, receiving one fourth-place vote that she said fueled her in the offseason to get better.
“It propelled me a little bit as I started my offseason workouts, but around February I was over it," Wilson said. "I didn’t want to give that person that energy, that’s when I started to lock in.”
Clark came into the league with quite possibly more hype than any rookie ever and she delivered, leading the Indiana Fever to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. She broke the WNBA single-season record with 337 assists, including a league-record 19 in one game. She also broke the single-season rookie scoring mark as she averaged 19.2 points.
“This is a tremendous honor to be named The Associated Press Rookie of the Year,” she said. “This recognition wouldn't be possible without an incredible group of teammates and coaches, and we are looking forward to continuing an exciting regular season in the postseason.”
Off the court she helped lift the WNBA to record ratings and attendance.
Clark headlined the all-rookie team along with Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky, who broke the rebounds-per-game record by averaging 13.1. She would have had the overall rebounding record as well had she not gotten hurt at the end of the season. Other rookies on the team were New York's Leonie Fiebich, Los Angeles' Rickea Jackson and Chicago's Kamilla Cardoso.
Wilson's teammate Tiffany Hayes earned AP Sixth Woman of the Year honors.
“She’s our difference-maker in a lot of ways, what she brings on the court and in the locker room,” Wilson said. “Tiff doesn’t have to be the vocal leader, but everyone listens when she speaks — shows the great player she is.”
Wilson and Clark headlined the AP All-WNBA first team. They were joined by Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart and Alyssa Thomas. Sabrina Ionescu, Kahleah Copper, Nneka Ogwumike, Kayla McBride and Arike Ogunbowale were on the second team.
Other AP winners included:
—Coach of the Year: Cheryl Reeve. She helped Minnesota finish second in the regular season with a team that was picked ninth in the preseason. The Lynx won the Commissioner's Cup and finished the regular season with 13 wins in their final 15 games.
—Comeback Player of the Year: Skylar Diggins-Smith. The Seattle Storm guard missed last season after giving birth to her second child. Diggins-Smith averaged 15.1 points and 6.4 assists this season.
—Most Improved Player: Dearica Hamby. The Los Angeles Sparks forward made a huge jump this season by averaging 17.3 points — 8.4 more than last season. She also improved her rebounding by more than three a game. Hamby edged Connecticut's DiJonai Carrington by one vote.
—Defensive Player: Collier. The Lynx star had an incredible season on both ends of the court, but she was an anchor especially for Minnesota's stellar defense. The team had the best defense in the WNBA this season and Collier’s play was the main reason why. Wilson finished second, three votes behind Collier.
“I’m so proud of Phee’s defensive work in 2024. Her commitment to all aspects of our defense — deflections, denials, steals, blocks, rebounds — anchored one of the top defensive teams in the league and led to her best season yet as a pro," Reeve said.
Minnesota finished atop the power poll, with New York second. Las Vegas and Connecticut were the next two teams. They were followed by Seattle, Indiana, Atlanta and Phoenix. Washington, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles finished off the poll.
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter (7) goes to the basket as Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride, center, and forward Napheesa Collier (24) guard against her in the third quarter of a WNBA basketball game Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, right, speaks with guard Natisha Hiedeman, left, as they play against the Chicago Sky in the third quarter of a WNBA basketball game Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
Dallas Wings guard Jacy Sheldon (4) defends Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) in the first half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) poses after an WNBA basketball game against the Connecticut Sun, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Las Vegas.(Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Marxist lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake has won Sri Lanka’s presidential election, according to data released by the Election Commission Sunday, as voters rejected the old political guard that has been widely accused of pushing the South Asian nation toward economic ruin.
Dissanayake, whose pro-working class and anti-political elite campaigning made him popular among youth, secured victory over opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and incumbent liberal President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took over the country two years ago after its economy hit bottom.
Dissanayake received 5,740,179 votes, followed by Premadasa with 4,530,902, Election Commission data showed.
The election held Saturday was crucial as the country seeks to recover from the worst economic crisis in its history and the resulting political upheaval.
“This victory belongs to all of us,” Dissanayake said in a post on X.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Marxist lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Sunday claimed he had won Sri Lanka’s presidential election.
“This victory belongs to all of us,” Dissanayake said in a post on X.
Official results were expected to be announced, but according to tallies released by the Election Commission, Dissanayake secured 42% of the votes followed by opposition leader Sajith Premadasa with 32%. Incumbent liberal President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took over the country two years ago after its economy hit rock bottom, came distant a third and secured 17% of the votes.
Campaigning by Dissanayake in favor of working class and against political elite made him popular among youth as the country seeks to recover from the worst economic crisis in its history and the resulting political upheaval.
Neither candidate received more than 50% of the vote.
The Sri Lankan election system allows voters to select three candidates on their ballots in the order of their preference. If no candidate secures a majority, the top two will be retained and the ballots of the eliminated candidates will be checked for preferences given to either of the top two candidates, and those votes will be added to their respective tallies. The candidate with the highest number of votes after that will be declared the winner.
It was a strong showing for Dissanayake, who won just over 3% of votes in a previous presidential election in 2019, and suggests voters are fatigued with the old political guard, which has been accused of pushing Sri Lanka toward economic instability.
Wickremesinghe's Foreign Minister Ali Sabry congratulated Dissanayake on the social platform X and said he hopes he will “lead with a commitment to transparency, integrity, and the long-term good of the country.”
“I wish Mr. Dissanayake and his team every success in their efforts to lead Sri Lanka forward,” Sabry added.
The election was a virtual referendum on Wickremesinghe’s leadership of a fragile recovery, including restructuring Sri Lanka’s debt under an International Monetary Fund bailout program after it defaulted in 2022.
Dissanayake, 55, leads the left-leaning coalition National People’s Power, an umbrella of civil society groups, professionals, Buddhist clergy and students.
The government announced Thursday that it passed the final hurdle in debt restructuring by reaching an agreement in principle with private bond holders.
At the time of its default, Sri Lanka’s local and foreign debt totaled $83 billion. The government says it has now restructured more than $17 billion.
Despite a significant improvement in key economic figures, Sri Lankans are struggling with high taxes and living costs.
Both Premadasa and Dissanayake say they will renegotiate the IMF deal to make austerity measures more bearable. Wickremesinghe has warned that any move to alter the basics of the agreement could delay the release of a fourth tranche of nearly $3 billion that is crucial to maintaining stability.
Sri Lanka’s economic crisis resulted largely from excessive borrowing on projects that did not generate revenue. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s insistence on using scarce foreign reserves to prop up the currency, the rupee, contributed to the economy’s free fall.
The economic collapse brought a severe shortage of essentials such as medicine, food, cooking gas and fuel, with people spending days waiting in line to obtain them. It led to rioting in which protesters took over key buildings including the president’s house, his office and the prime minister’s office, forcing then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign.
Wickremesinghe was elected by a parliamentary vote in July 2022 to cover the remainder of Rajapaksa’s five-year term.
Sri Lankan opposition leader Sajith Premadasa waves as he arrives at the election commission office, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardane)
Marxist lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake arrives at the election commission office after winning Sri Lankan presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardane)
Marxist lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake waves as he arrives at the election commission office after winning Sri Lankan presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardane)
Marxist lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake waves as he arrives at the election commission office after winning Sri Lankan presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardane)
Police commandos stand guard, as a countrywide curfew was imposed then, outside a ballot counting center during the presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Police commandos stand guard outside a ballot counting center during presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024(AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Latest update of the presidential election is displayed on a screen at a counting center, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024.(AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Latest update of the presidential election is displayed on a screen at a counting center, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024.(AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
People watch early election result showing Marxist-leaning lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake in a leading position on a television screen, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardane)
Police commandos stand guard outside a ballot counting center in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardane)
Police commandos stand guard outside a ballot counting center in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardane)
Police commandos stand guard outside a ballot counting center in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardane)
Polling officials carry a sealed ballot box as they return it to a counting center at the end of voting during presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Polling officials carry a sealed ballot box as they return it to a counting center at the end of voting during presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
A police officer sits next to a sealed ballot box as polling officials prepare to return it to a counting center at the end of voting during presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
People wait in a queue to cast their votes at a polling center during the presidential election on the outskirts of Colombo , Sri Lanka Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.(AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
A Sri Lankan family sit in a rickshaw as they leave a polling station after casting their votes in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Elderly women leave a polling station after casting their votes during the presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Voters gather at a polling station to cast their votes during the presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Election officers seal the documents and ballot box at the end of voting during presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
A Sri Lankan man casts his vote at a polling station during presidential elections in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Leader and the presidential candidate of National People's Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake arrives at a polling station to cast his vote in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
